The percentage of traditional cigarette smokers who have also used electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) rose from 10 percent in 2010 to 21 percent in 2011 according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent ion (CDC).
The same study also shows the increasing awareness of e-cigarettes among adult smokers. In 2010, about four in 10 adults were aware of e-cigarettes; this number rose to six in 10 adults in 2011. With increasing awareness comes increasing use as well. “E-cigarette use is growing rapidly,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “There is still a lot we don’t know about these products, including whether they will decrease or increase use of traditional cigarettes.”
E-cigarettes appear to have fewer toxins in the smoke compared to traditional cigarettes, but the impact of e-cigarettes on long-term health still needs to be studied. “If large numbers of adult smokers become users of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes — rather than using e-cigarettes to quit cigarettes completely — the net public health effect could be quite negative,” said Tim McAfee, MD, MPH, director of the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC.
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Online Newsroom, February 28, 2013